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Psalms / Chapter 123
The psalm lifts its gaze to God in heaven and waits for his mercy. It names steady dependence, then turns that posture into an urgent plea for relief from ongoing scorn and contempt.
To you I do lift up my eyes, You who sit in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; So our eyes look to Yahweh, our God, Until he has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us, For we have endured much contempt.
Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, With the contempt of the proud. Psalm 124 A Song of Ascents. By David.
Psalms journey · Psalms 123
Full passage context
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Prayer, lament, praise, kingship, and hope teach God's people to sing truthfully.
Movement
Worship across the whole story
Artifact
Prayer book of the covenant people
Biblical Timeline
Kingdom
Psalms context: 1000 BC - 586 BC
Psalms context
Kingdom / 1000 BC - 586 BC
Psalms context is set in the kingdom period, where Israel's monarchy from David and Solomon to exile.
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Context snapshot
Date
Collected across Israel's worship life, c. 1000-450 BC
Genre
Poetry, prayer, and praise
Setting
Israel/Judah worship tradition
Audience
Israel
World Stage
Davidic and temple worship leaders collection over centuries
Psalms gathers prayers and songs from royal, temple, crisis, exile, and restoration settings. Its world is Israel's worship life across generations, bringing covenant memory into praise, lament, confession, and hope.
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